Ticketing blunders often costly to fliers

Web carelessness a critical factor in 5 biggest mistakes

Christopher Elliott, Tribune Media Services

Published
4:00 am PDT, Sunday, May 11, 2008

As far as mistakes go, the one Janet Gordon recently made didn't seem like a big deal. She booked an airline ticket from Toronto to London under the name Jan. But what happened next could only be summed up in one word - chaos - says her husband, David.

"It was a major hassle," remembers Gordon, a human resources director for a college in Swansea, England. At almost every turn, the couple had to explain why the name on Jan's ticket didn't match her passport. "The computers wouldn't allow us to check in and issue a boarding card," he says.

In a business where slip-ups are almost as common as surcharges, the wrong-name-on-my-ticket error is a standout. You don't have to look far for ticketing mistakes in an age of do-it-yourself booking.

Here are the five biggest booking blunders - and how they could have been prevented:

Wrong name on my ticket: Before Sept. 11, 2001, airlines and security personnel - and I use the term security personnel loosely - might have let a nickname or even a maiden name on a ticket slide. No longer. If you have the wrong name on your ticket, you're probably grounded. And there are two reasons for this: security and greed.

The Transportation Security Administration wants to be sure the same person who bought the ticket, and who was screened, is boarding the plane. But when there's an inexact match, the airline can either charge a $100 change fee or force you to buy a new ticket. In an industry where every dollar counts, the exact-name rule is the government's gift to cash-starved air carriers.

-- How to avoid it? Triple-check the name on your ticket. Make sure your computer doesn't autofill another name and that the name on your passport or driver's license matches the ticket.

The wrong airline: Believe it or not, people board the wrong flight every day. I'm not even talking about code-share flights, which is industry-speak for booking a ticket on one airline but then flying on a partner airline with different rules and maybe lower service standards. I'm talking about simply making the wrong choice of airline.

For example, the elite-level business traveler who is accustomed to being treated like royalty when he flies on his preferred carrier might want to stay away from a budget airline. "I gave Southwest a try and I hated it," they'll write to me.

On the flip side, I hear from travelers who book tickets on full-service network airlines and then complain about the price. Which is silly. How else do you think an airline is going to pay for all of that service?

-- How to avoid it? Watch for the code-share designation when you book online and do a little research before buying an airline ticket. That way, your expectations won't be too high. Or too low. Also, consider using an experienced travel agent.

The city switcheroo: Selecting the wrong city pairs - going from point 'B' to point 'A' instead of from 'A' to 'B' - is another common error. Jennifer Hyde bought four tickets on Delta Air Lines through Orbitz. But instead of booking them from Boston to Baltimore she inadvertently switched cities, rendering the tickets completely useless.

"Needless to say, neither Orbitz nor Delta is doing anything to help," she says. Hyde, a homemaker from Newton, Mass., would have to pay a change fee for each ticket, plus any fare differential, to make things right. Not good.

How could someone switch cities? It's easy. To an inexperienced Web user - and OK, let's be completely honest here, even to some experienced users - those pull-down menus on travel sites can be utterly confusing. When you're typing in airport city codes like BWI and BOS, it's easy to forget which airport goes where.

-- How to avoid it? Pay attention! If you're easily distracted maybe you should be working with a qualified travel agent instead of booking yourself. And read your confirmation immediately. If you spot a mistake, your agent might be able to undo it at no charge.

Ticket that's too restrictive: Booking the wrong kind of ticket is yet another common error. Airline sites often assume you want to purchase the cheapest and most restrictive fare, so that's the first quote you're usually offered.

The pricier, fully refundable tickets are buried deeper in the site, which is too bad. For air travelers whose plans might change, these are the best selections.

Why should you pay more for a ticket? Because if your plans change and you're holding a nonrefundable ticket, it will be practically worthless.

-- How to avoid it? If you can't buy the right ticket, at least buy the right insurance policy. It might protect you if you change plans.

Wrong date: Like the city switcheroo, the wrong date problem is an epidemic among air travelers. Part of the reason is simple absentmindedness: choosing the sixth month instead of the seventh month and then not reading the subsequent screens.

But part of the reason is that airline Web sites are anything but user-friendly.

-- How to avoid it? Wake up and read the screen! No, seriously. This can usually be avoided by just reviewing your itinerary before you click the "book" button.